(Yicai Global) March 16 -- Hearthstone, a digital card game developed by Blizzard Entertainment and operated by NetEase in China, will not be played at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games this fall due to a fallout between the two firms.

The 19th Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games will not include Hearthstone as the game servers and the mainland management team have been dissolved, the organizing committee of the multi-sport tournament announced on its website today. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the event was postponed to start in September.

California-headquartered Blizzard and Hangzhou-based NetEase confirmed in January that their mainland partnership has come to an end, which means that most Blizzard games would be halted in the region.

Consequently, the Olympic Council of Asia decided that the 19th Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games will have seven e-sports events instead of eight, the committee added.

Editor: Emmi Laine, Xiao Yi